With all of the chaos between now and New Year’s, it seems it would be madness indeed to put a house for sale during the winter. But smart Realtors say it may just be the perfect time to put up the “for sale” sign.

One house-hunter turned real estate agent is Linda Kemp, who remembers she and her husband were transferred every couple of years and always right before the holidays.

Seal the Deal with All Your Senses

“I have many fond memories of how beautiful the houses looked all decorated with lights and holiday garland,” she recalled. “Many of the homes smelled of cinnamon and spices. All of my senses were in overdrive and I couldn’t wait to purchase a new home and lay down roots once again.”

Now settled in the midwest in Naperville, Ill., she has resumed her real estate career and shakes her head in amazement when she watches her associates take their clients’ homes off the market when winter rolls around.

“It’s my experience, both personal and professional, that buyers who are looking at homes during this time of year are serious buyers indeed,” she said. “I have watched homes sell right before Christmas. In fact, a few years back, one of my clients sold their home on New Year’s Eve with the buyers signing a contract right there on the spot.”

Los Angeles Realtor Lee Dworshak concurs. “Experience tells us that only the truly motivated home buyers and sellers are the ones who will be out there over the holiday season. While most folks close their doors just before Thanksgiving and don’t open them again until mid January, the folks that are willing to give of their time and perform the due diligence required during this period are really serious about buying or selling.”

Don’t Decline Showings

Kathy Keating, a Realtor in Boulder, Colo., believes there’s always a buyer or a seller even during the holiday season so she doesn’t enter into this time of year thinking it’s going to be challenging. Her advice? Make is as easy as possible to have a showing. Don’t decline showings and don’t put time limits on them.

“It’s a numbers game,” she says. “The more people you get in the door, the better chance of selling your home. And it only takes one buyer. As far as a seller, the inventory is at its lowest right now and people are getting nervous and either renting their homes or just taking them off the market. People would like to see new homes.”

Karlene Smith, a Realtor in Warren, Penn., finds that families often come back to where they grew up during the holiday season. “And if they’re thinking of making a move back, now is the time they will be looking,” she said.

She agrees that those looking for homes are serious buyers but she cautions real estate agents make sure potential buyers are pre-approved.

“You do not want to put the sellers and their families out in the cold and snow for a showing unless the buyer is capable of purchasing,” she said.

And she has one very practical tip for showing a house during the holidays. “Since we are in the north we also have to deal with mud and snow during this time, one issue is the men wear work boots that lace up and taking them off to a view a home can be an inconvenience. What I suggest is buy the disposable booties that doctors wear in surgery. They are great for slipping over the boots keeping the sellers floors from damage.”